Now that the holidays are over and everyone has had a chance to get back into the swing of things, it is time to look back at what made them truly memorable – the presents. As a society that feeds on having the latest and the greatest, the bar for what is deemed an awesome present to open on Christmas morning seems to keep rising. We waited in long lines at midnight, our turkey dinner from the night before still fresh on our minds, in order to snag a deal or two. That special day known affectionately as “Black Friday” seems to be moving closer to Halloween as the years go by, and yet year after year we all wait restlessly to get what we want. 2013 was no different, and with it came a release to end all releases.
The climax of the holiday season culminated with the epic console battle between the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One. Both systems ushered in the next generation of gaming, causing even more people to forget that little also-ran known as the Nintendo Wii U that came out way back in 2012 – an eternity in the technology world. It has been over half a decade since these two rivals last faced off against one another, and the retail market anxiously awaited to see who would win. The PS4 versus Xbox One battle even spawned a multi-episode story arc on South Park, thus joining consumerism and pop culture together as one. Both consoles had shoppers coming out in masses to show their support, lining up outside stores hours and even days ahead of their respective midnight releases.
Time will be a key component in figuring out who will come out on top. Sony announced the PS4’s release date of Nov. 15, a full week ahead of Microsoft’s Nov. 22 release for the Xbox One. Sony’s early entry into the holiday market seemed to give it a slight edge during the month of November, as Engadget reported its sales at 2.1 million units versus 2 million for the later starting Microsoft. It seems a bitter war began between two equally matched opponents throughout the holidays, with Sony barely ahead of the curve. Even though the PS4 had more initial sales, the Xbox One was reported by Gamespot to be the faster selling of the two by the end of November.
As the holiday season came to a close, the battle between the eighth generation gaming consoles had yet to reveal a true winner, with both selling out rapidly upon their release. Sales for both remain neck and neck. It seems gamers everywhere chose their sides, and industry insiders say the real test for success will come within the next few months, after all the early adopters have satisfied their thirst for the hottest gaming consoles on the market. The holiday season may not have given us a clear victor, but it allowed both sides to prepare for the long battle ahead.
